Was there ever a CSI Toronto?

26Apr

There certainly was never a TV program of this name. However, I believe such a show would be popular, since the various CSI shows presently available have addicted many viewers to the methods of forensic science as they relate to solving murders. The highly-rated program “Murdock,” about a policeman who attempts to apply scientific analysis and techniques to crimes in Toronto in the 1890s, capturers much interest for similar reasons. Few people ever wonder how police coped in earlier decades, prior to the use of DNA and other advanced methods of examining crime scenes.

The recently published murder/mystery, “The Reluctant Virgin,” tells the story of two Toronto detective who must solve a crime during the 1950s, before the days of DNA. It begins when they are summonsed to a crime scene in the Humber Valley, where a young woman has been brutally murdered and much of the blood drained from her body. More killings occur, but lacking the ability to perform DNA tests, they remain unaware that they are looking for a serial killer.

The novel leads readers through the streets, back alleys, ravines, and public parks of the city as the police find more bodies. Those who enjoy a classic “who-done-it” will enjoy the twists and turns of the convoluted plot as the detectives try to apprehend the murderer. Their crime methods may be simple by today’s standards, but they are interesting to observe.

I love living in Toronto and enjoy employing it as the background for my writing. I have spent much of my adult life researching the history of the city and include it in all my writing, even the fictional. One of my books, “The Villages Within”, was short-listed for the Toronto Heritage Awards.

If interested in a murder/mystery with a Toronto setting, “The Reluctant Virgin”can be purchased in soft or hard cover, as well as in electronic editions. The electronic editions are less that $4. It is also available at Chapters/Indigo and on Amazon.com. Follow the link: